Kyle RNLI Maritime Day 2024 pictures as Lochalsh community rallies to lifesavers
Kyle of Lochalsh RNLI’s Maritime Day attracted large crowds, building on the success of previous years.
The Maritime Day began at midday on Saturday with large crowds coming to the event to look at all the stalls, enjoy a burger at the barbeque, and watch all the action unfold both on and off the water.
Kyle, Portree and Mallaig lifeboats were all in attendance, allowing people to get onboard and look around the different vessels. A UK Coastguard tug was also alongside the pier, allowing everyone the chance to get onboard and explore the larger vessel.
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Kyle Fire Brigade put on a fantastic display showing the onlookers how they go about cutting the roof off a car to extricate a casualty, then the Lochalsh Junior Pipe Band played a variety of tunes to entertain the public.
At 2:15pm the Lochalsh Leisure Centre Kyleakin to Kyle swim took place. This year’s race was even more of a community event than normal, with over 20 competitors taking on the challenge between the two slipways to try and raise funds to repair and re-open the leisure centre.
The local kayaking club and the Lochalsh Rowing club were both on hand to let people take to the water and try out the sports, with both proving very popular. The local Coastguard team had a variety of equipment and vehicles on show for people to look around.
At 3.15pm there was a skiff race between a number of different rowing clubs who had come to the event, which was highly competitive in the challenging foggy conditions.
This year also saw the return of the very popular tractor-pulling competition, where teams of six people had to compete to pull Kyle RNLI’s launching tractor over a 20-metre distance in the quickest time. The competition was highly competitive with the Kyle RNLI crew narrowly retaining their title as the fastest.
The day was rounded off with the annual Kyle Fire Brigade raft race. All the competing teams were supplied with the same pieces of basic equipment and had to build their rafts on the slipway as the crowds watched on, before then taking to the water and trying to get around the course.
Due to the misty and foggy weather, the course was kept close in to shore to allow the crowds to see the rafts as the action unfolded. All the teams managed to build rafts which made it successfully around the course without breaking apart. Once again the Kyle RNLI crew managed to cross the finish line first, closely followed by the Kyle Fire Brigade team.
A great day was had by all and Kyle of Lochalsh RNLI would like to thank everyone who took part, came along to support us and helped to make it such a success.
The event is the local crew’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The amount raised is still being totted up.
